Converter for bessemerizing matte.



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R. .BAGGALBT CONVERTER TOR BESSEMERIZING MATTE.

APPLIOATTON FILED APR. 28.1905.

' Manns-SHEET z.

A @www .few blows of the converter.

UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905'.

Original application filed April 8, 1904:,l Serial No. 202,193. Divided and this application iiled April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257,824..

To a/ZZ whom, it Wfl/tty concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH BAGGALEY, of

- Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveV invented a new and useful Improvement in Converters for Bessemerizin'g Matte, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows invertical longitudinal section a converter which has been lined in accordance with my invention. Fig.`2 is a vertical cross-section on the line II II of Fig. l.

In producing copper by the bessemerprocess it is customary after the ore or concentrates have been smelted in a blast-furnace or reverberatory furnace and reduced thereby into a matte varying, approximately, from, say, thirty to forty per cent. up to fifty or sixty per cent. copper to transfer such matte into a converter having a lining of from eighteen to twenty-four inches in thickness of silica bonded with sufficient clay to hold the lining in place. When the air-blast is supplied through the conVerting-twyers, the iron content of the matte after being oxidized attacks `and rapidly destroys the silica lining, with which it combines to form silicate of iron, which, being less in specic gravity, oats as a slag on the top of themolten matte and can thus be removed.

The methods by which converters have been lined heretofore have been very expensive, for it has been deemed necessary in order to make the lining effective to apply it in the form of ground quartz mixed with clay in a plastic mass, which is carefully packed and rammed firmly and evenly in place. This work is laborious and can only be done at a cost of about forty dollars for each relining, and thislining must be renewed after every The total expense is very great, and it is necessary to employ a special crew of men and to use a large number of spare vconverter-shells in order to make it possible to carry on the operations of the plant without interruption; As a rule the plastic lining can not be evenly rammed. Hence some portions are porous and are easily attacked by the oxidized iron of the matte, while other portions that have been more lirmly packed remain unconsumed. As the life of the lining .must be controlled by its thinnest portion, it has often been necessary to discard a lining when less than one-half of it has been eifectively consumed.

l have discoveredthat converters can be.

lined quickly and almost without cost, thereby avoiding the expense and large investment of capital required by the use of linings heretofore known.

The character of the lining which is iliade bymy invention is of special utility, for the In the practice of my invention I take silicious ore, such as the highly-silicious ores of- Butte or any gold, silver.or copper quartz ores, which contain a proportion of iron, not sufli-y cient, however, to neutralize or satisfy the silica of the ore, but suiicient to form a flux, which when the mixture is heated will cinter the mass somewhat and make it adhesive. I distribute this ore on the interior of the converter, preferably principally on the side of v the converter opposite to the twyers, where the reactions principally take place. This may be done either by spreading the ore over the interior ofthe converter with a shovel or by placing it in the converter in a mass and then tipping Athe converter back and forth. I then by means of liame from oil or gas jets in the converter heat the layer of silicious ore suiiiciently to cause it to combine with the small proportion of iron oxid and to cinter. This will make it somewhat adhesive and will cause it to cohere as a mass and to adhere to the converter-shell in a loose and unpacked lining of the necessary thickness.

Where the converter has been heated by previous blows, less heat will be required to cause the cintering of the lining.

The lining can be applied 'so quickly as not to interrupt to any material extent the operation of the converter and can be applied Without special skill and with practically no extra labor. Silica is of less specic gravity than molten matte, and hence the lining must be attached to the bottom of' the converter with sufficient security to prevent it from' iioating up to the surface of the bath. This is done eectively by my method of cinterino.v

TVhere pure silica is used to constitute the lining, iron oxid or other iiux must be especially added to cause it to cinter; but this is not necessary where silicious ore containing iron is employed.

When the converter is charged with Inatte and is blown, the reactions take place in the ordinary way, except that the lining being unpacked and of open and porous nature, and therefore exposing a very large area of contact to the bath, will unite with great rapidity with the oxidized iron and will shorten the period ofthe conversion. The location of this lining directly opposite the twyers is also especially favorable for very quick work. Every particle of the lining is utilized effectively, whereas in present practice a large proportion is wasted. As an illustration of its effectiveness over that in common use I have actually blown a double converter charge to excellent blister copper 99.4 fine in fifty-five minutes, which I believe to be unparalleled in past converting practice.

The metal values contained in the ore lining will be incorporated in the bath, and the lining therefore becomes a very important source of profit.

Referring now to the drawings, in which I show a converter which has been lined in accordance with my invention, 2 is the converter-body, which may have an incasing water-jacket 3 and an interior lining 4, of magnesite brick or other suitable basic or neutral material.

5 is the silicious-ore lining, which is applied in accordance with my invention.

The converter is provided with burners 6, adapted to supply gas or oil mixed with air and steam, and thus to create heat for cintcring the silicious material of the lining.

This application is a division of my prior application, Serial No. 202,193, filed April 8, 1904.

I claim as my invention- 1. A matte-bessemerizing converter having a distributed adhering lining of cintered unpacked silicious material; substantially as dcscribed.

2. A inatte-bessemerizing converter having a distributed adhering lining of loosely-arranged silicious material cintered throughout its mass; substantlally as described.

1 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my iand.

RALPH BAGGALEY Witnesses:

LYNN W. SMITH, AZELLE E. HOBART. 

